The devil's always in the details, isn't it?

Make sure you always read far enough down to get to the good stuff:

At an extraordinary press conference outside the front doors of Toronto City Hall yesterday, the city official at the heart of a growing cronyism scandal admitted to a "special relationship" with a subordinate who rose quickly through the ranks of her department in recent months.

Ummm ... how special?

But Pamela Coburn, the $140,000-a-year executive-director of municipal licensing and standards, denied any wrongdoing, either over her "budding office romance" with Joseph Carnevale, director of investigations, or over allegations of questionable hiring practices.

OK, office romances happen. It's not like this would be the first time. So what now, Ms. Coburn?

"Joseph became a personal friend, and very recently, more than a friend," she said. "I came to care a lot for Joseph, and we described each other as soulmates in our e-mails. We discussed the possibility of a future together. I'm sure that is no longer possible."

Why not? Stranger things have happened, I'm sure.

Mr. Carnevale, a married father of three, did not appear to be at his home in the north end yesterday.

Oops.